1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable computer systems, and more particularly to installation of a ventilating fan in limited space of a portable computer. The invention is further directed to a mounting device which provides for an easy assembly and dismantlement of the components of the portable computer.
2. Background Art
Rapid technological developments in semiconductor devices have resulted in the reduction in size of large-capacity computers. This has led to the development of personal computers that in some cases are small enough to be easily portable. Typical examples of portable computers are the laptop computer, the notebook computer, and the palmtop computer. As these portable computers grow in speed and shrink in size, the power consumed within the computer per unit volume increases dramatically. This makes the dissipation of heat critical during the operation of the portable computer to ensure that the components remain within their normal operating temperature ranges.
Conventionally, computers have used fans to replace heated air within the computer with cooler air from outside the computer system. Critical components, such as the central processing unit are often cooled by having a fan directly propel air across the surface of the component. Computer systems may incorporate either a general fan, a fan oriented to blow air across a specific component, or a combination of both. With portable computers it is common to use a heat sink with the central processing unit to increase the heat-dissipating surface area of the central processing unit for more effective cooling. These heat sinks often have a plurality of heat-dissipating projections or elements on an upper surface that are used to increase the heat transfer surface area. A lower surface of the heat sink is placed onto the component and a retention clip is employed to wrap around the heat sink and to grip a lower surface of the component with inward-facing projections.
In addition to using heat sinks to cool the central processing system, a ventilating fan is often used in a portable computer to provide an efficient means to further dissipate the heat generated by the central processing unit. A fan is generally placed along a sidewall of the portable computer housing to act as an air exchanger for the computer system. Furthermore, a fan is often positioned to propel air flow over the central processing unit. Computers often use a biscuit-type fan driven by a motor to achieve the necessary cooling. The biscuit-type fan is designed as small as possible to allow the fan to fit within the dimensional limitations of the portable computer housing. Techniques for simplifying the mounting of fans that cool the central processing units in computers are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,605 to Tracy entitled Computer Cooling Fan Vibration Isolation Apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,016 to Zupancic entitled Set of Structural Brackets that Allow Electronic/Electrical Assemblies to be Mounted Within a Computer Enclosure, U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,029 to Behl entitled Apparatus for cooling a Memory Storage Device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,321 to Remise entitled Module for Muffling a Fan and for Fixation to an Electronic Machine Chassis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,445 to Tragen entitled Electronic Computer Cabinetry Having Fan and Power Supply Drawers and Connector Port Arrangement, U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,872 to Lawson entitled Ventilation System, U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,438 to Heung entitled Circuit Module Fan Assembly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,442 to Daniels entitled Combined Fan Spacer and Wire Guide, U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,465 to Benck entitled Personal Computer with Tandem Air Flow Dual Fans and Baffle Directed Air Cooling.
The installation of fans inside computers remains difficult, despite the improvements made by the prior art, largely due to difficulties caused by the small size of the fan and the limited space available in which to place it. Furthermore, additional parts, such as a bracket and a multiplicity of screws, are necessary to mount the fan in the portable computer. The fan is often first attached to the bracket by using screws and then the fan assembly is mounted inside the portable computer. Thus, the fan assembly work is time-consuming and lowers the total assembly work efficiency. I believe it is possible to improve on the contemporary devices used for installing fans in computers by using a device that requires few individual parts and fasteners, that can be simply adjusted for fans slightly out of tolerance, and that reduces the amount of area occupied by the fan within the computer. By reducing the number of parts required to install the fan, the amount of time needed for assembly goes down, the cost of installation goes down, and the probabilities of a tolerance error occurring are reduced. The reduction in the number of fasteners used will further speed up the installation process.